SEEDS names executive director

The local non-profit group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development support) announces the hiring of its first executive director, Jocelyn Cramer.

— The local non-profit group SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development support) announces the hiring of its first executive director, Jocelyn Cramer.

Cramer comes to SEEDS from a varied background in theatre, and human resource and business management.

She was chosen from a field of highly qualified applicants for her proven administrative and fundraising abilities, her enthusiasm for the work SEEDS does, and her outgoing personality.

“We are very excited about this next phase in the life of SEEDS,” said Katharine Dodge, the current chair. “We think that Jocelyn’s management and people skills coupled with her understanding of the need for a more sustainable approach to energy use and conservation spell a bright future for SEEDS.”

Cramer was born and raised in Dalton in Lackawanna County. Her father is a local piano teacher, and Cramer developed a lifelong love of music and the arts.

She attended The State University of New York in Binghamton, where she received a bachelor of the arts in theatre, and went on to conservatory training at Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, R.I.

She started her first theatre production company in Boston and directed or acted in every production while simultaneously leading all fundraising, marketing and publicity efforts for the fledgling company.

After several years she moved to New York City and soon started the award - winning Ground Floor Theatre Lab, serving as executive director for over seven years.

The theatre company operated out of a former public school building on Manhattan’s lower east side. Cramer led all fundraising, marketing, press and production efforts. When the Ground Floor Theatre was placed on the public auction block, Cramer decided to round out her skills by pursuing a business career, accepting a management position with a human resource company in midtown Manhattan, where she was promoted to the position of VP of Operations.

She oversaw payroll, benefits and immigration compliance. She was the client manager for new accounts, wrote and produced all marketing materials, planned all business travel and recruiting events, including a two week executive recruiting trip to South Korea in the fall of 2002, where she and several of her business colleagues launched a recruitment pipeline with South Korea’s equivalent of our U.S. Department of Labor.

During her years in New York, Cramer also volunteered with the International Refugee Committee and the International Center.

In 2005, Jocelyn was hired by one of the Board of Directors at Bear Stearns and Co., to provide administrative and project support to his department. When the firm was acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2008, Cramer was offered an administrative and project support role.

Cramer chose to resign from JP Morgan Chase three years later, moving back to northeastern PA in the summer of 2011. She married Michael Rollison of Lake Ariel, whom she had met the year before. She soon became involved with SEEDS as a volunteer and was inspired to apply for the executive director position.

This is the fifth year of the SEEDS organization and it promises to be a very productive one. Do-It-Yourself Solar workshops, the continuation of our Wayne Businesses Conserve program and our free home energy assessment program, The Energy Awareness Action Movement – TEAAM, will be among our priorities.

“I am proud to serve with our passionate SEEDS Board of Directors and members,” says Cramer. “I encourage residents and businesses alike to come visit our new office on the second floor of The Cooperage Building, at 1030 Main Street in downtown Honesdale.”